1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a pedal boat drive according to the generic clause of the claims in the present application. It further relates to a pedal boat equipped with a pedal boat drive of the aforementioned type.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A pedal boat drive is known from U.S. Pat. No. 6,165,029 as is a pedal boat equipped with such a drive. Although the prior art pedal boat permits storage of energy transmitted to the transmission train in a flywheel, it is not suited for a sports-related, flexible application.
Pedal boats are water borne vessels which have been known for a long time, serving primarily for pleasure. The pedal boats are in this context equipped with pedal boat drives, which by means of one or a plurality of pedal crank(s) transmit energy to a propulsion means, normally one or a plurality of propeller(s) or paddle wheel(s). The transfer of the drive energy takes place directly, i.e. the power is transferred to the propulsion means by the pedal crank(s) by way of a transmission means, e.g. a chain drive and/or a cardan shaft. In this way, in particular advancing and reversing of the pedal boat is controlled by the direction of rotation of the pedal cranks.
Examples of such pedal boats are known from the German utility model specifications DE 298 20 184 U1, DE 81 17 770 U1 and DE 84 04 297 U1.
In addition, a pedal boat comprising a drive means is known from DE 101 37 662 A1, wherein, in support of the propulsion means, an energy storage means, fed by the pedal drive, is provided in the transmission train, from which drive energy may be withdrawn, if so required, in order to bring about propulsion with reduced use of force. However, in this case as well the drive continues to be a direct one, the driving direction being determined by the direction of rotation of the pedal crank.